“She’s from the Green…”

Posted on Friday, May 23rd, 2008.

Ruth (L) and Mary Ellen (R)

We traveled to Enfield, Connecticut for a two day Door-to-Door with the Enfield Public Library. Enfield may be a small place, but the residents, many of whom are natives, told wonderful stories about their home. Perhaps no other participant remembered the many changes in Enfield like Ruth E. Maylott.

Ruth spoke to her very good friend, Mary Ellen, who brought a toy phone to represent the many telephone conversations the two have shared. Ruth remembers the Cottage Green, the area of Enfield in which she has spent almost all her life. Ruth described her diverse neighborhood with yummy smells emanating from Italian, English, and Irish households and the Cottage Green wedding traditions in which all the neighborhood women could get a sneak peek of the bride’s wedding day attire. Even today, all you need to say is, “She’s from the green,” and an Enfield resident knows exactly what you mean.